[Andjeti]

Ok. Recently I've been having some gearbox issues. It will randomly drive fine then for no reason I can tell will stick in top gear. No problem quick restart and all is well again.

Yesterday I went and tried to drive to my brothers for Christmas when it wouldn't change out of first gear.

It has done this before and an SDS reset along with leaving battery off overnight completely fixed the issue. Not this time however.

Does anyone have any clue as to what could cause this erratic behaviour?

Cheers
Jay.

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[Slik hot]

Maybe worth checking battery voltage??

 

[jbanks15]

as above
also when was trans service done last?
I know early models say no trans service needed but your car IS 24 years old

 

[Andjeti]

Battery Voltage checks OK.
Did trans service 6 months ago.

Cheers
Jay

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[jbanks15]

From a search of our wonderful site with key words 'stuck in 1st gear' as search criteria

site:slkworld.com r170 stuck in 1st gear - Google Search

 

[Andjeti]

I'll dig out the SDS printout and post that

Cheers
Jay.

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[Andjeti]

Here's a before and after of the SDS print-outs.

Cheers
Jay.

 

[Andjeti]

OK, so being the dill that I am, I read the fault codes with SDS, reset said codes, and looked no further.
So I decided to actually look at the codes and research about them a bit. In particular "13 Component Y3/6n3 (speed sensor 3) is faulty. STORED"

I've come to the conclusion that this code means the conductor plate inside the g/box is on it's way out, if not already gone. I've ordered a new one along with a new filter, gasket, plug adapter. I'll see if that fixes it.

Sometimes I'm just too lazy/don't think enough, to actually do what I should have done from the start.

Cheers
Jay.

 

[Dave2302]

Yes, failing Speed Sensor, very common.

Check out MB Prices against the aftermarket ones, IIRC last time I bought one from MB they weren't much dearer, (but it has been a while)

 

[Andjeti]

I drained the g/box and converter, and then put the new conductor plate in, then refilled with 8L of new fluid. Wasn't too hard of a job.

But now I have another slight issue, with the car in the air, after running it for well over half an hour and running through all gears numerous times, the rear tyres don't turn. (Yes I did disable ASR just to make sure it wasn't that causing this problem). The fluid level is correct according to the dipstick (Measured at >80°C), there are no TCU fault codes on SDS (except the same Park/Reverse Solenoid error that it's had for the last 7 years). Is this likely to be something I did wrong when replacing the conductor plate, or is it more likely to be a fluid issue?
It seems to me to be a fluid issue, because it's like the clutches are slipping. But I have been wrong before and am more than willing to be proven wrong again.

Cheers
Jay

 

[Slik hot]

I drained the g/box and converter, and then put the new conductor plate in, then refilled with 8L of new fluid. Wasn't too hard of a job.

But now I have another slight issue, with the car in the air, after running it for well over half an hour and running through all gears numerous times, the rear tyres don't turn. (Yes I did disable ASR just to make sure it wasn't that causing this problem). The fluid level is correct according to the dipstick (Measured at >80°C), there are no TCU fault codes on SDS (except the same Park/Reverse Solenoid error that it's had for the last 7 years). Is this likely to be something I did wrong when replacing the conductor plate, or is it more likely to be a fluid issue?
It seems to me to be a fluid issue, because it's like the clutches are slipping. But I have been wrong before and am more than willing to be proven wrong again.

Cheers
Jay

When you say you drained the converter is that torque converter?
And if so how did you refill?

 

[Andjeti]

Yes I drained the torque converter. I refilled through the dipstick tube as per WIS instructions. Then I ran the car for well over half an hour while shifting through all gears (forwards and reverse) in order to refill the torque converter with fluid.

Cheers
Jay

 

[Avel Du]

I drained the g/box and converter, and then put the new conductor plate in, then refilled with 8L of new fluid. Wasn't too hard of a job.

But now I have another slight issue, with the car in the air, after running it for well over half an hour and running through all gears numerous times, the rear tyres don't turn. (Yes I did disable ASR just to make sure it wasn't that causing this problem). The fluid level is correct according to the dipstick (Measured at >80°C), there are no TCU fault codes on SDS (except the same Park/Reverse Solenoid error that it's had for the last 7 years). Is this likely to be something I did wrong when replacing the conductor plate, or is it more likely to be a fluid issue?
It seems to me to be a fluid issue, because it's like the clutches are slipping. But I have been wrong before and am more than willing to be proven wrong again.

Cheers
Jay

Yes I drained the torque converter. I refilled through the dipstick tube as per WIS instructions. Then I ran the car for well over half an hour while shifting through all gears (forwards and reverse) in order to refill the torque converter with fluid.

Cheers
Jay

@Dave2302 Any ideas Dave?

 

[Andjeti]

I just re-drained the torque converter, just to check if it had fluid in it. It held 4L of fluid. So I don't think the converter was the issue. I also went through the Actuations section in DAS and I could hear all the solenoids clicking as I actuated them, so I don't think I stuffed up the conductor plate install.

Still working on it.

Cheers
Jay

 

[Dave2302]

Converter literally fills within seconds of starting the Engine, as soon as the Engine starts, the Pump inside Gearbox is running, so all the Oil in the Sump has now disappeared because it has filled the Cooler, Lines and Converter, then ya whack more in until level with Engine running in PARK.

Other than not enough Oil, or Oil Filter not seated correctly / O Ring missing, Manual Valve not engaged properly or some other FUBAR, I have no Idea why it would go from being a solid driving Trans with a limp issue pre all this work to Trans slipping / not engaging at all.

Verify Oil level first then move on, remember all my posts about how easy it is to under fill these, although even with draining Converter, if you stuck 8 litres in I would have guessed it would be over full ????????????????????????

When we used to fully rebuild these, (therefore they had virtually no Oil at all anywhere), we would chuck 4 litres in pre start, and have another 2 jugs ready, 2 litres in each jug ......................

As soon as Engine starts, chuck another 2 litres in, run it through the Gears with Wheels stationary, then dip wipe dip wipe etc etc etc until getting a good reading, and now top up in small increments, I'm guessing but I don't recall getting much over 6.5 to 7 litres in 'em

If you actually put all the 8 Litres in before ya started it, look underneath the Car, there will likely be 3.5 litres on the floor as they P out of the Breather on top of the Tranny

HTH

 

[Deplore]

Oh Dave beat me to it. Incorrectly installed oil filter can cause no movement, the oil filter is the oil pickup for the trans.

Also the little shifter rod on the valve body needs to be aligned with the notch that attaches to the shifter rod.

 

[Dave2302]

/\ /\ /\ Agreed 101%

That little "shifter rod" is the "Manual Valve", and the more I think about it the more I think that is the issue, especially if @Andjeti hasn't done a Valve Block on an Auto Trans before, seen it a bunch of times when I had the Trans firm, even done it myself once or twice in the early dayz despite the fact I knew that they had to be hooked in, it's dead easy for them to slip out until the VB is bolted down, so these days after torquing VB I then take a good look at that Manual Valve before fitting Filter and Sump

HTH

 

[Andjeti]

I didn't just plonk the 8L in and hope. I put maybe 5L in then started and added slowly until all 8L was in.

The gear selector is the little spring steel piece with the roller on the end? That seems to be lined up correctly.

Also FWIW, I re-drained the gearbox, pulled the valve body again, and rechecked everything. Couldn't see any obvious issues.

While it was drained I measured the fluid that came out when I first drained it. It came to ~7L. So this time when I refilled it I only put 7L into it. Still no better. Just won't turn the wheels no matter what gear I am in.

Cheers
Jay

 

[Dave2302]

The gear selector is the little spring steel piece with the roller on the end? That seems to be lined up correctly.

No

That piece is the Detent Spring, it runs on a Metal "Comb" which is attached to the Rod that goes through the Trans Casing and connects to the Shifter Cable ............................

INSIDE the Trans, coming off of that "Comb" is a Metal Pin, sticking out towards the Valve Block, this Pin must engage it the slot on the Manual Valve head, (Beige Plastic bit) I'm pointing to with the infamous Red Pen here ....

Clickable:-



I just hope that the Pin hasn't broken that Beige Plastic Piece as you run the Shifter through the Gears, they all look identical to that in my Pic

HTH

 

[efair]

Just curious - was your old pilot bushing leaking oil, or dry?